Dance
by Cupiditatis
Summary: “Love is scary.” – While dancing on a wedding, Angelina and Montague discuss love, taking their friends as examples.


I don't own anything in this. I'm just borrowing the characters to play a bit with them. :D

**Dance**

"They are both scared." Montague said as he watched Marcus Flint and Katie Bell dancing together, keeping Angelina from wondering yet again why Alicia had to marry a former Slytherin, and why she had now to dance with Montague of all people.

"Scared?" Angelina let out a dry laugh. "I don't think I've ever thought that Flint would be afraid of anything. Especially not of Katie."

"He is not afraid of her. He is afraid to love her. And she is afraid to love him."

"You're implying that she at least has feelings for him, if not already loves him and is just too scared to admit it to herself."

Montague looked over her shoulder at said couple. His eyes returned to her face as the dance made him turn his back on the other two.

"And you don't think so?"

"No. Even if Katie would have feelings for him. What would she be afraid of?"

"You mean besides your friends?"

Angelina opened her mouth to protest but he was already continuing.

"Fears, lies. There's enough that stands between them." And although he was saying this, she could hear in his voice that to him those didn't seem to be good enough reasons to keep two people apart.

The music stopped and Angelina took a step back from him.

"You don't already want to leave me here, do you?"

"Two dances is what is considered to be the least number one should dance with one partner. We danced two dances so I can leave now. Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't."

Montague stepped closer to her, put his hand on her elbow and turned her to look at one of the tables.

"You see that guy who is talking to Warrington? He's his cousin. His name is Eustace." She looked at the man he was talking about and instinctively made a step back against Montague's arm around her.

"He's going to ask you to dance with him as soon as he gets the chance."

Angelina swallowed and closed her eyes. _'If faced with two evils, the one you know is always the lesser one.'_ She reminded herself. Montague was definitely the lesser evil here.

"One more dance can't hurt." She murmured and turned to face him as the music started again. At least he was a good dancer. He could lead and was never stepping on her feet. If nothing else, this was something she could take comfort in.

"What is Flint afraid of?" They had danced a short time in silence before Angelina asked Montague. The look he gave her showed he didn't understand what she meant with her question and Angelina sighed.

"You said Katie would be afraid to love him because of other people's opinions, of lies and fears that stand between them. So what are Flint's reasons to be scared?"

"Love _is_ scary."

Angelina looked at him as though he had just said that he still believed in the Easter bunny.

"Love is not scary." She replied.

Montague lifted his hand and let Angelina turn around underneath it.

"Love is about power and control." He whispered close to her ear.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head before her hand rested on his shoulder again.

"Love is not power and control. If this were the case no one would fall in love." Angelina replied almost in a whisper, not wanting the other couples to hear what they were talking about.

"I didn't say it is power and control, I said it is _about_ power and control. If you love someone, you're giving up all control over you to this person. Making yourself powerless."

"This is nonsense."

"Is it? They could hurt you by ignoring you, kill you with one look, destroy you with one single word. You're at their mercy. Believe me, it's not a place _any_ man likes to be."

He pulled her closer, his hand moved from her waist to her back and it wasn't until that moment, that she noticed that the music had changed and it was already the fourth dance she was dancing with him.

She felt her heart beat rising and had troubles to keep breathing normally. Angelina wasn't sure whether this was because Montague had so easily kept her from noticing that one song had ended and a new one started or because he was so close to her now. Too close.

Their cheeks were almost touching each other, his dark hair brushed her skin occasionally, she could smell his cologne and every now and then she could feel his breath on her shoulder. The thin strap of her dress not keeping it away at all. When his hand had been on her waist it had just been leading her in the dance, now, on her back it almost burned her skin. She was glad she couldn't see his face, for she knew that looking at his eyes and his lips she would have been already lost. And all of that only added to her anger.

"You could die sitting beneath a tree when a branch falls down on you. You could die in the street because some madman decides it is fun to kill you. Hell, you could die in your bed because your heart decided to stop beating. Yet that doesn't stop you from living, does it?"

Montague smiled slightly at her words, the slow dance and their closeness keeping her from seeing it. He was glad she was seeing it that way.

"I never said that it should keep you from loving." He said quietly.

"Fears and lies can be overcome. This wedding is the best proof for that."

"But you don't think Katie and Flint would be able to do so – _should_ there really be some feelings between them?"

"You just can't admit that she might be in love with him, can you. I don't say they aren't able to overcome them. I'm just saying that I think they are both too scared to love each other."

"That would make Alicia either very brave for marrying a former Slytherin despite those risks or very naïve for not thinking about them."

"Sounds like the typical Gryffindor to me."

Angelina put one hand against his chest and put some space between them. She glared at him and fought the urge to shove him away from her. But she wouldn't ruin Alicia's wedding by making a scene here. She could still get drunk later and retire to her hotel room early.

"And the way you are insulting everybody shows that you are the perfect Slytherin. You probably woke up this morning with the resolution to annoy and insult every person at this wedding who has not been in the same house as you."

"Actually my resolution for today was a complete different one."

Angelina glared at him.

"And I'm sure I don't want to know it."

"That would really be too bad." Montague grinned at her.

"Because you are a major part of it."

"Now I _know_ that I don't want to hear it." She murmured

"Are you sure about that? You might find it… interesting." His fingers trailed an imaginary line over her back which was left mostly bare by the dress she was wearing.

"I highly doubt that." She answered and swallowed hard as she noticed her voice was about to break.

Montague didn't seem to think that she had meant what she had said. He leaned his head even closer to hers, making sure that their cheeks did touch each other and whispered into her ear as they continued to dance.

"When I woke up this morning in this cold, lonely hotel room, I regretted that one half of the bed was empty. And I whished there was someone who would share the bed with me. Someone to keep me warm during the night. Among other things of course." Angelina could hear the grin in his voice as he spoke.

"So, you're saying your resolution has been to get a woman into your bed? This must be my lucky day then if you choose me." Angelina managed to say without faltering.

"No, my resolution was to get you into my bed. And this time I won't let you walk away come the morning." Montague answered, his lips touching her earlobe as he spoke softly into her ear.

"I'll be waiting in my room." Montague whispered before he left her alone and went to say good night to the newly wedded couple before he left the wedding for good.

He knew she would come. Just as he knew that he was close to give up all control over him to her. Now he could just hope for her to be brave enough to take the risk.


End file.
